The present invention relates generally to condensers and more specifically to such condensers having multiple counterflow paths for condensing a gaseous fluid to a liquid state.
Condensers are employed in a variety of applications and normally are designed to receive a gaseous fluid at a relatively high temperature and pressure and to cool this fluid so as to transform it into a liquid state with as little pressure drop as possible.
A typical condenser construction in present day use employes a plurality of finned conduits extending between headers having fluid inlet and outlet connections provided therein. Baffles may be provided in the headers to provide any desired number of counterflow paths for the fluid passing therethrough. Generally such counterflow condensers provide equal number of fluid conduits for each pass through the condenser. Further, as these baffles are sealed in place, they divide the header into separate chambers thus requiring that any fluid condensed during the initial passes through the conduits continue to flow back and forth through the conduits to reach the outlet connection. This liquid fluid tends to insulate portions of those conduits through which it flows from effective heat transfer relationship with the gaseous portions of the fluid thus significantly impairing the effectiveness of subsequent flow paths. Further, providing equal numbers of conduits for both initial and subsequent counterflow paths is inefficient in that as the gaseous fluid is cooled its volume will decrease thus requiring a lesser number of conduits to achieve the same flow rate.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved condenser of the counterflow path type by providing an alternative flow path to direct fluid condensed by each pass through the finned condiuts directly to the outlet connection. Further, as finned conduits are not required to conduct the condensed fluid to the outlet connection, the present invention provides progressively fewer finned conduits for successive flow paths thus optimizing the flow rate through the entire condenser and effectively utilizing the entire heat transfer capability of each conduit member. Also, the reduction in volume due to the cooling of the gaseous fluid allows lesser numbers of finned conduit members to be utilized in successive passes through the condenser without any impairment of overall condenser efficiency or any increased pressure drop therethrough. Thus, the combination of alternative liquid flow paths and decreasing the conduit members in successive flow paths allow smaller condensers to be fabricated with the same heat transfer capability. Significant cost savings will be realized both in the reduction of materials required to fabricate these smaller condensers as well as through the reduced mounting space required therefor.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the drawings and claims appended hereto.